Addie, I've seen that happen too when I lived in the city. There aren't a lot of multiple unit dwellings in the suburbs. You live in a single family home. Then you buy a nicer one and sell your current one. You need the money from the first house to buy the second house. If the timing doesn't work out and your sale is delayed but you have to close on the new home, you have to go to the bank and get a bridge loan to hold you over.

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"If you want to make an apple pie from scratch, you must first create the universe." -Carl Sagan

Addie, I've seen that happen too when I lived in the city. There aren't a lot of multiple unit dwellings in the suburbs. You live in a single family home. Then you buy a nicer one and sell your current one. You need the money from the first house to buy the second house. If the timing doesn't work out and your sale is delayed but you have to close on the new home, you have to go to the bank and get a bridge loan to hold you over.

But then when you are ready to retire, you sell the triple decker and move to the suburbs. Fewer landlord headaches. Or you give up the second floor and move to the first. Get more money for the second floor for your retirement. The problem there though is that you don't want kids overhead.

Andy, as I kid I remember one of my friends father paid the grand sum of $5,000 for a triple decker. Now today that is only a partial payment for the monthly mortgage payment.

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Illegitimi non carborundum!
I don't want my last words to be, "I wish I had spent more time doing housework"

Here in the city where I grew up, most of my friends that I grew up with would buy a triple decker. (Three apartments high.) They lived on the first floor, renovated the second floor, and rented out the top floor for income. When the second floor was done, they moved upstairs and then rented out the first floor. They lived almost rent or mortgage free while the rental incomes from the other two floors paid the mortgage.

I personally have never had the desire to own my own home. Too many headaches. Let the landlord do the worrying and repairs.

So it's "most folks that [you] grew up with" and not "most folks." I don't think that's common throughout the country. In newer areas over the last 50 years, most people have bought single-family homes. And many owners of single-family homes fix up their homes at least somewhat to make them appeal to the most buyers. Not everyone wants to buy a home that needs work.

The great thing about having your own home is that you can fix it up however you like. Landlords usually restrict what you can do.

__________________The trouble with eating Italian food is that five or six days later you're hungry again. ~ George Miller

Sure owning your own place is a lot of work and responsibility, but I wouldn't trade away the fact that our house is OURS or we can do as we wish (without being rude neighbors) for any landlord. And this is being said by someone whose dear spouse just doesn't "do" repairs.

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Originally Posted by GotGarlic

...many owners of single-family homes fix up their homes at least somewhat to make them appeal to the most buyers. Not everyone wants to buy a home that needs work...

That was the comment made by our OH realtors when I had them over to my parents' home for dinner. Wanted them to point out the important stuff that should be done, so I bribed them with food. Jan's argument was that Loverly and I could soldier through a complete bathroom overhaul with a lot less pain than a two-income-with-children couple could...in a one-bathroom home. We restored a LOT (kitchen bath, porch, driveway) but we passed off a nice, sturdy home. Good feeling.

So it's "most folks that [you] grew up with" and not "most folks." I don't think that's common throughout the country. In newer areas over the last 50 years, most people have bought single-family homes. And many owners of single-family homes fix up their homes at least somewhat to make them appeal to the most buyers. Not everyone wants to buy a home that needs work.

The great thing about having your own home is that you can fix it up however you like. Landlords usually restrict what you can do.

Having lived in several different states all across the country and visited quite a few to see friends, Boston does have some unique housing features. Even our tax base is different. A lot of towns and cities I have seen have a separate tax for schools. Not Boston. One property tax and the City or Town will divvy it up among the needed services.

We also have "triple deckers." An east coast type of housing. Although I once saw three of them standing all alone in Tacoma. They were all identical, such as they are in Boston and were probably six/seven roomers. The were one of the more upscale type. Very large front porch on all three floors.

As a small kid, living on the farm on Cape Cod, all the housing was single family. I can't recall ever seeing a multiple family building. Today, the Cape is covered with Condos.

Building single family homes in the city doesn't happen too often here. Financially, it is not worth it for the home owner. Just two doors from my daughter, they just built a large two family home. Someone has to help pay for that new home and it is going to be the tenant. And you can bet the rent is going to hit at least $2,000 a month.

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Illegitimi non carborundum!
I don't want my last words to be, "I wish I had spent more time doing housework"